Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Updated on September 30, 2008

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

These cheesecake bars were so rich, so chocolaty, and so deliciously complimented by the layer of raspberries that the four hour wait for them to set was worth every minute. I've never made a cheesecake before, but these came out perfect. Enjoy!

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars Recipe

makes 16 bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup pecans, finely minced *

1 1/2 cup crushed chocolate wafers

3/4 cup butter, melted

* or substitute walnuts

Filling:

10 ounces raspberries (frozen is fine, so long as you defrost them)

Cheesecake Batter:

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

5 oz dark chocolate (55% cacao or above)

1 cup chocolate chips or mini-chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

1. Set out the butter, cream cheese, and eggs to warm up.

2. Finely mince the pecans. A nut chopper or a food processor will save you a lot of time on this step if you have one.

3. Crush the chocolate wafers until they are practically powder. I do this by putting a few wafers between two sheets of waxed paper and crushing them with a rolling pin.

4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celcius).

5. Melt the butter. Add the pecans and crushed wafers and mix well. Press the crust mixture into an ungreased 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan, trying to coat the bottom of the pan evenly.

6. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, mash the raspberries. If they were frozen, you may want to drain off some of the juice (or else it will make the crust soggy. Set aside.

8. Put the cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract and granulated sugar until well creamed. Next, add the eggs and beat in. Set aside.

9. Break the chocolate into small pieces. You can either melt it in a double boiler, or melt it in the microwave. Take great care not to burn it if using the microwave, however. Set the microwave to 50% power and heat it for a minute. Take it out and stir, then continue to heat it in thirty-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Pour into the cheesecake batter mixture and stir well.

10. Spread the raspberry mash in a thin even layer over the crust. Then pour the cheesecake batter over top, smoothing until even. If using chocolate chips, sprinkle them across the top.

11. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until the center has set. Remove from oven and let cool on rack until it reaches room temperature. Then cover it and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least three hours. Cut into bars and enjoy!

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